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Jovian #1
They Will Be Coming for Us
In this gripping psychological thriller, Svetlana Peterman has met her soul mate in Andrew Jovian, a young astronomer who works for Starbright International, the aerospace company his wealthy parents own. Once married, they make a home in Kirksberg, Pennsylvania, a small town famous for a UFO sighting that occurred in the 1960s. Svetlana is, for once, truly happy, except that Andrew’s family is strange, and not in a normal-strange kind of way.
Preoccupied with only two things—the night sky and carrying on their family lineage—the Jovians lack social skills and often pry into Svetlana’s personal life. Her intimidating mother-in-law demands she get busy fulfilling her reproductive duty to the family, and Andrew’s eccentric uncle seems to be able to read her mind. Feeling bullied and wanting a career before motherhood, Svetlana takes precautions but ends up pregnant anyway.
But that’s the least of her worries when she discovers the Jovians have a monumental secret that will change her fate (and that of her child’s) forever—a secret so powerful, it could alter the course of mankind.
Preoccupied with only two things—the night sky and carrying on their family lineage—the Jovians lack social skills and often pry into Svetlana’s personal life. Her intimidating mother-in-law demands she get busy fulfilling her reproductive duty to the family, and Andrew’s eccentric uncle seems to be able to read her mind. Feeling bullied and wanting a career before motherhood, Svetlana takes precautions but ends up pregnant anyway.
But that’s the least of her worries when she discovers the Jovians have a monumental secret that will change her fate (and that of her child’s) forever—a secret so powerful, it could alter the course of mankind.
362 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2021
252 people are currently reading
16435 people want to read
About the author
Kim Catanzarite
7 books182 followersKim Catanzarite writes character-driven science fiction and dark fantasy novels. Her books are a mix of heartfelt family and friendship drama, fast-paced adventure, engaging plot twists, and unique imagination. She is the author of the Jovian Universe series and the Angel of Death series. Kim lives in New Jersey with her husband and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
October 15, 2022
This novel relates the story of Svetlana and Andrew, their romance and the strange events that follow. It is imaginative and well written. There are a few loose ends but that is not a huge problem. This is recommended as a fun read that is a bit more than expected.
My thanks to the author, Kim Catanzarite, and the publisher, Forster Publishing, who provided me with an e copy of this book, which I received via a Goodreads Giveaway.
My thanks to the author, Kim Catanzarite, and the publisher, Forster Publishing, who provided me with an e copy of this book, which I received via a Goodreads Giveaway.
February 6, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an Advance Reader Copy of this book, in return for an honest review.
In They Will Be Coming For Us, the main character, Svetlana, falls fast in love with Andrew, a sweet man who doesn't know his family's biggest secret. They rush into marriage, and his family rushes into being the most toxic, weird, overbearing in-laws in existence. They move 600 miles away to try and maintain some semblance of boundaries, but tragedy strikes and more family weirdness follows, despite the distance they tried to put between Sveta and the rest of the Jovian family.
I really hate giving bad reviews, but this book was a slow, boring slog of a read for me. It might appeal more to someone who enjoys sad romance or family drama, and I certainly wouldn't consider it a "thriller," except maybe for the last few chapters. There was a thread of sci-fi throughout the story, although most of that was saved for the end as well. The only part of the plot that kept me interested was the undercurrent of slight mystery, and a sense of "something is wrong here" reminiscent of gothic horror. I unfortunately had guessed the big mystery of the plot less than 20% of the way through the book, and mostly kept reading to see if I was right, and so I could provide an accurate review. The biggest surprise was how much more like Nazis the villains were than I suspected at first, which is the most I can give away without spoiling the denouement.
The characters were consistently disappointing in their flat, one-dimensional portrayal. Svetlana was slightly more interesting than the rest of the cast, but I was unable to relate to her at all. Her thought process made no sense to me, and it almost seemed as if she was just along for the ride just as much as I was. Most of the story happened to Sveta, rather than Sveta appearing to have any actionable impact on her own life. I have so many unanswered questions about Sveta's behavior, but most of them boil down to "why would you not try harder to figure out what the heck was going on?" She accused the Jovians of not caring about her, but I didn't see much evidence that she cared about herself much, either. For someone who moved hundreds of miles across the country to get away from her baby-hungry in-laws to establish a career before starting a family, she sure didn't have any complicated emotional conflict when her birth control mysteriously failed and she ended up pregnant. Her fantasy life with her soulmate was sickeningly fake and shallow, and it was honestly really annoying.
Lots of other reviewers seem to love this book though, so if you're looking for an easy beach read with star crossed lovers and some sci fi weirdness thrown in for good measure, this might work for you! If you want something with a more complicated plot and realistic character development, this is probably not the book for you.
In They Will Be Coming For Us, the main character, Svetlana, falls fast in love with Andrew, a sweet man who doesn't know his family's biggest secret. They rush into marriage, and his family rushes into being the most toxic, weird, overbearing in-laws in existence. They move 600 miles away to try and maintain some semblance of boundaries, but tragedy strikes and more family weirdness follows, despite the distance they tried to put between Sveta and the rest of the Jovian family.
I really hate giving bad reviews, but this book was a slow, boring slog of a read for me. It might appeal more to someone who enjoys sad romance or family drama, and I certainly wouldn't consider it a "thriller," except maybe for the last few chapters. There was a thread of sci-fi throughout the story, although most of that was saved for the end as well. The only part of the plot that kept me interested was the undercurrent of slight mystery, and a sense of "something is wrong here" reminiscent of gothic horror. I unfortunately had guessed the big mystery of the plot less than 20% of the way through the book, and mostly kept reading to see if I was right, and so I could provide an accurate review. The biggest surprise was how much more like Nazis the villains were than I suspected at first, which is the most I can give away without spoiling the denouement.
The characters were consistently disappointing in their flat, one-dimensional portrayal. Svetlana was slightly more interesting than the rest of the cast, but I was unable to relate to her at all. Her thought process made no sense to me, and it almost seemed as if she was just along for the ride just as much as I was. Most of the story happened to Sveta, rather than Sveta appearing to have any actionable impact on her own life. I have so many unanswered questions about Sveta's behavior, but most of them boil down to "why would you not try harder to figure out what the heck was going on?" She accused the Jovians of not caring about her, but I didn't see much evidence that she cared about herself much, either. For someone who moved hundreds of miles across the country to get away from her baby-hungry in-laws to establish a career before starting a family, she sure didn't have any complicated emotional conflict when her birth control mysteriously failed and she ended up pregnant. Her fantasy life with her soulmate was sickeningly fake and shallow, and it was honestly really annoying.
Lots of other reviewers seem to love this book though, so if you're looking for an easy beach read with star crossed lovers and some sci fi weirdness thrown in for good measure, this might work for you! If you want something with a more complicated plot and realistic character development, this is probably not the book for you.
February 2, 2022
This has to be one of the strangest books I have ever read...but also, one of the best books in the alien trope I have ever read! Hear me out as I explain the hows and whys.
Svetlana is a Russian immigrant, adopted along with her "sister", Helena, by an American do-gooder couple who is barely ever around. The novel introduces them both at their job in an ice-cream shop, in a city where there is a major alien enthusiast convention every year. Helena soon absconds to Russia, as Americans and their strange sensibilities did not suit her, leaving Svetlana alone- though, not for long. She soon meets Andrew, and the two are struck with love at first sight, beginning a whirlwind romance that concludes with a quick marriage. Our heroine is beyond happy, as love and a family are the things she wants most in the world. However, Andrew's family is...strange?? His mother, Caroline, is always behind Svete to begin "procreation," his father, Edmund rarely shows any emotion, and let's not even discuss Uncle Jimmy, the strangest of them all! Svete cannot understand how her loving and affectionate Andrew came from this family and strives her best to keep the peace with them. Soon, struck with a tragedy that leaves her floundering, and a baby that is counting on her, Svetlana discovers a huge secret that sends her reeling and has her running scared for the lives of her and her son.
The summary as described above barely scratches the surface of the plot of 'They Will Be Coming for Us.' I had never heard of Kim Catanzarite before discovering this book, but her ability to keep me hooked while reading this book has to be commended! If not for the mundane vagaries of life- a demanding job (I mean, who really needs to be able to pay bills), two demanding toddlers (urgh, children am-I-rite), and sleep (*rolls eyes*), I'd have finished this in a day, it was that good. There was never a moment where I was not drawn in, and the storyline was easy to follow. There was an appropriate amount of action mixed with world-building so that neither one nor the other was lacking.
I took away one star as I found there needed to be more background explanation about the Jovians; I had so many questions about them that were left unanswered and I am hoping they will be resolved in Book 2. Otherwise, I had no issues with this and am eagerly awaiting the second part.
I definitely recommend this to fantasy lovers and anyone who likes a good, fast-paced novel! The novel was professionally edited, and I saw no instances of grammatical and spelling errors. There was no profanity or overly erotic content, so anyone fourteen and older can safely read this. Trigger warning- there are a few chapters where there is major angst after a character's death, so keep this in mind if you are struggling with this yourself. Ms. Catanzarite has found a new fan in me, and now I am going to go stalk her on all her social media platforms to see when Book 2 is being released!
*Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this novel for review.*
Svetlana is a Russian immigrant, adopted along with her "sister", Helena, by an American do-gooder couple who is barely ever around. The novel introduces them both at their job in an ice-cream shop, in a city where there is a major alien enthusiast convention every year. Helena soon absconds to Russia, as Americans and their strange sensibilities did not suit her, leaving Svetlana alone- though, not for long. She soon meets Andrew, and the two are struck with love at first sight, beginning a whirlwind romance that concludes with a quick marriage. Our heroine is beyond happy, as love and a family are the things she wants most in the world. However, Andrew's family is...strange?? His mother, Caroline, is always behind Svete to begin "procreation," his father, Edmund rarely shows any emotion, and let's not even discuss Uncle Jimmy, the strangest of them all! Svete cannot understand how her loving and affectionate Andrew came from this family and strives her best to keep the peace with them. Soon, struck with a tragedy that leaves her floundering, and a baby that is counting on her, Svetlana discovers a huge secret that sends her reeling and has her running scared for the lives of her and her son.
The summary as described above barely scratches the surface of the plot of 'They Will Be Coming for Us.' I had never heard of Kim Catanzarite before discovering this book, but her ability to keep me hooked while reading this book has to be commended! If not for the mundane vagaries of life- a demanding job (I mean, who really needs to be able to pay bills), two demanding toddlers (urgh, children am-I-rite), and sleep (*rolls eyes*), I'd have finished this in a day, it was that good. There was never a moment where I was not drawn in, and the storyline was easy to follow. There was an appropriate amount of action mixed with world-building so that neither one nor the other was lacking.
I took away one star as I found there needed to be more background explanation about the Jovians; I had so many questions about them that were left unanswered and I am hoping they will be resolved in Book 2. Otherwise, I had no issues with this and am eagerly awaiting the second part.
I definitely recommend this to fantasy lovers and anyone who likes a good, fast-paced novel! The novel was professionally edited, and I saw no instances of grammatical and spelling errors. There was no profanity or overly erotic content, so anyone fourteen and older can safely read this. Trigger warning- there are a few chapters where there is major angst after a character's death, so keep this in mind if you are struggling with this yourself. Ms. Catanzarite has found a new fan in me, and now I am going to go stalk her on all her social media platforms to see when Book 2 is being released!
*Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this novel for review.*
February 5, 2024
Of all the genres, sci-fi remains my favorite. And so, no wonder I loved reading this one. The central lead character is Svetlana who has been living in the US for nine years now. Although adopted and an immigrant, she relates pretty quickly with Andrew, a twenty-seven-year-old local man. The adventure begins when she gets married to him in an insta-love kind of way. His family is weird and thanks to her Russian background, she tries to get out of the situation. But... well, you have to read it to know!
The story starts off with two tracks running in parallel. Her sister Helena, who runs off to Russia back to her roots. Her feelings were relatable. Andrew is a seemingly normal guy, but his Jovian ancestral legacy makes Svetlana a tool to further their race.
Author Kim has used a lot of imagination in the world building that shows her technical know-how and astronomy knowledge. Her writing style is smooth and extremely easy to follow. The story is clean and minimum focus on romance. It progresses with a hint of mystery that is maintained until the end.
In conclusion, I was saddened by Andrew's fate. I am hopeful his son will carry on the torch and uncover Jovian background in the next book from this series. I am also curious about David and if he is a friend to Svetlana or something sinister.
The story starts off with two tracks running in parallel. Her sister Helena, who runs off to Russia back to her roots. Her feelings were relatable. Andrew is a seemingly normal guy, but his Jovian ancestral legacy makes Svetlana a tool to further their race.
Author Kim has used a lot of imagination in the world building that shows her technical know-how and astronomy knowledge. Her writing style is smooth and extremely easy to follow. The story is clean and minimum focus on romance. It progresses with a hint of mystery that is maintained until the end.
In conclusion, I was saddened by Andrew's fate. I am hopeful his son will carry on the torch and uncover Jovian background in the next book from this series. I am also curious about David and if he is a friend to Svetlana or something sinister.
February 5, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.
I generally never do anything like this.... but this book absolutely blows. It's possibly the worst book I have ever read (and I read about 300 books a year).
Nothing at all happens for at least 55% of the book, and then when things DO happen, they're still boring AF. Svetlana and Andrew fall in love in the course of about 20 pages and decide to get married (WTF) and then the following 50% of the book is just.... their life of doing nothing except being annoyed by Andrew's family who lives too close and is way too nosy. His family is so obsessed with the young couple having a baby, they actually tamper with Sveta's birth control in order to force her to get pregnant (hello sexual assault!).
Then a huge spoilery event happens (which is still boring and dumb) and afterwards, simultaneously everything is happening and nothing is happening. Sveta finds herself in a lot of danger, but it's never explained how any of it is actually dangerous. It pretty much just looks like her life before *the event* except that now she lives with Andrew's family. The last 10% of the book is complete nonsense and nothing at all makes any kind of sense. It was confusing and stupid and left an utterly open ending.
I literally couldn't have cared less about anything in this book. I will most definitely not be picking up the next book in the series or even anything else by this author. Ever.
I generally never do anything like this.... but this book absolutely blows. It's possibly the worst book I have ever read (and I read about 300 books a year).
Nothing at all happens for at least 55% of the book, and then when things DO happen, they're still boring AF. Svetlana and Andrew fall in love in the course of about 20 pages and decide to get married (WTF) and then the following 50% of the book is just.... their life of doing nothing except being annoyed by Andrew's family who lives too close and is way too nosy. His family is so obsessed with the young couple having a baby, they actually tamper with Sveta's birth control in order to force her to get pregnant (hello sexual assault!).
Then a huge spoilery event happens (which is still boring and dumb) and afterwards, simultaneously everything is happening and nothing is happening. Sveta finds herself in a lot of danger, but it's never explained how any of it is actually dangerous. It pretty much just looks like her life before *the event* except that now she lives with Andrew's family. The last 10% of the book is complete nonsense and nothing at all makes any kind of sense. It was confusing and stupid and left an utterly open ending.
I literally couldn't have cared less about anything in this book. I will most definitely not be picking up the next book in the series or even anything else by this author. Ever.
January 22, 2022
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
A lonely girl from Russia, who was adopted by an American family is working in an ice cream shop when she meets a charming man. After they marry, she has to deal with his weird family and their secrets.
Like a gothic horror romance, only with aliens.
A lonely girl from Russia, who was adopted by an American family is working in an ice cream shop when she meets a charming man. After they marry, she has to deal with his weird family and their secrets.
Like a gothic horror romance, only with aliens.
June 3, 2021
I received a free book in exchange for an honest review. Kim is such a great editor I couldn’t wait to read her book. She didn’t disappoint. Tension builds throughout with twists and turns that kept me turning pages. I didn’t skip a single word. Can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
January 5, 2026
This is not a good book…I only finished it because it was a super quick/easy read. It’s marketed as a sci-fi….but is maybe like 10% sci-fi and 50% romance and 40% nothing. It’s a book of nothing actually. Like actually just a ton of dialogue that goes no where and means nothing.
Sry I hate being mean on Goodreads but 2026 is the year I stop giving pity stars!
Sry I hate being mean on Goodreads but 2026 is the year I stop giving pity stars!
May 8, 2021
“I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.”
Let me start by saying that I have never once - since I passed the age of fifteen - read a book that was written in the first person. For some reason I just find myself unable to connect with the protagonist in this writing style. Another genre that I never expected to pick up would be a paranormal thriller set in a small USA town. I've always gravitated more toward fantasy and pure out-there science fiction, or steampunk and the like.
So, this book is a milestone for me of some sorts as it's the first book I've read thoroughly from start to finish that is both written in the first person AND is an urban-paranormal-science fiction thriller.
Let's talk about the writing first. The book was beautifully edited and Kim manages to weave in descriptions about a character's features with some clever phrases (e.g. “Her dark eyes have something strong like black coffee brewing in them.") The sentences contain English that sounds rough sometimes, intentionally done to remind us of the protagonist's Russian roots. After all, the story is told through that person's eyes.
The story itself is interesting enough and I found myself wanting to go back to the book after a few instances when I had to put it down. The beginning had me hooked due to some relatable character dynamics (Svetlana and her sister) and certain "hints" at a darker future popped up at the right moments to keep me going. I will say the suspense could have been more consistent throughout the narrative. There were times when I found myself scratching my head on when the next strand of plot would be unraveled only to get slammed in the face a few chapters later with an unexpected, shocking twist. The pattern then continued until everything snowballed into place in the last act of the book. (Think 'The Fugitive' with a slow-burn start and middle before everything careens into a shocking ending.)
As for the characters, I will say this: they're unexpected, and in a good way. There were some pleasant character reveals in the last half that left me genuinely surprised. To say more would be to spoil them.
All-in-all, I genuinely enjoyed reading this book and despite its uneven tone in some areas, look forward to reading the second book in this duology.
Let me start by saying that I have never once - since I passed the age of fifteen - read a book that was written in the first person. For some reason I just find myself unable to connect with the protagonist in this writing style. Another genre that I never expected to pick up would be a paranormal thriller set in a small USA town. I've always gravitated more toward fantasy and pure out-there science fiction, or steampunk and the like.
So, this book is a milestone for me of some sorts as it's the first book I've read thoroughly from start to finish that is both written in the first person AND is an urban-paranormal-science fiction thriller.
Let's talk about the writing first. The book was beautifully edited and Kim manages to weave in descriptions about a character's features with some clever phrases (e.g. “Her dark eyes have something strong like black coffee brewing in them.") The sentences contain English that sounds rough sometimes, intentionally done to remind us of the protagonist's Russian roots. After all, the story is told through that person's eyes.
The story itself is interesting enough and I found myself wanting to go back to the book after a few instances when I had to put it down. The beginning had me hooked due to some relatable character dynamics (Svetlana and her sister) and certain "hints" at a darker future popped up at the right moments to keep me going. I will say the suspense could have been more consistent throughout the narrative. There were times when I found myself scratching my head on when the next strand of plot would be unraveled only to get slammed in the face a few chapters later with an unexpected, shocking twist. The pattern then continued until everything snowballed into place in the last act of the book. (Think 'The Fugitive' with a slow-burn start and middle before everything careens into a shocking ending.)
As for the characters, I will say this: they're unexpected, and in a good way. There were some pleasant character reveals in the last half that left me genuinely surprised. To say more would be to spoil them.
All-in-all, I genuinely enjoyed reading this book and despite its uneven tone in some areas, look forward to reading the second book in this duology.
January 26, 2022
Our main character Svetlana has met her soul mate in a young astronomer named Andrew. They fall in love, get married and soon Svetlana realizes that her new husbands family is a bit on the strange side-only worried about the night sky and for her and Andrew to carry on the family lineage. Soon after Svetlana’s life drastically changes-she finds out just how strange they are.
This was a very fast and easy read. From the first page I was pretty invested in the story and at times found it pretty unputdownable. The story had a really great mix of sci-fi/thriller/romance. It is part of a duology, but I felt that it had a complete enough ending that didn’t make me feel like I was left in the middle of a story, but also left enough of an opening that I can’t wait for book 2!
This was a very fast and easy read. From the first page I was pretty invested in the story and at times found it pretty unputdownable. The story had a really great mix of sci-fi/thriller/romance. It is part of a duology, but I felt that it had a complete enough ending that didn’t make me feel like I was left in the middle of a story, but also left enough of an opening that I can’t wait for book 2!
February 1, 2022
I got about 20% into this book before finally giving up, but honestly I knew pretty quickly that this book wasn’t going to be for me. The story sounded super intriguing and had a lot of potential, but I could not stand the writing style. The writing was so stilted and felt very amateur and I just couldn’t get past it. I’m guessing the awkward and stilted dialogue, and maybe even the internal monologue, was purposefully written that way to emphasize that Svetlana was Russian and Andrew and his family were “different,” but the fact that the whole book was written in that style didn’t work for me at all.
February 2, 2024
2.5 rounded up
The premise of this book was good and I was excited to see where it was going to go but it ultimately felt a bit dull to me. I don't know, but just felt a bit... meh? I felt like this could have been a lot shorter than what it was. I found it a bit repetitive at times.
Sveta and her in-laws:
The premise of this book was good and I was excited to see where it was going to go but it ultimately felt a bit dull to me. I don't know, but just felt a bit... meh? I felt like this could have been a lot shorter than what it was. I found it a bit repetitive at times.
Sveta and her in-laws:
February 6, 2022
They Will Be Coming for Us is fantastic. I would put in my top five of the year so far. The characters are very well-written. You really come to care for Sveta, Andrew, and even Uncle Jimmy. That last one took me a bit, he was super creepy in the beginning. But the real stand out of this book is how the author is able to keep the tension rising almost throughout the whole book. Seriously the amount of tension was crazy and it never really lets up. I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to read more by this author. They certainly know how to tell one heck of a story.
April 25, 2021
I give this book a solid 4. The middle of the book grabbed my attention more than the ending. I wish the ending had some answers for my questions BUT I guess I’ll just wait for Book 2.
I love one of the supporting characters’ redemption arc. I was not a fan in the beginning but towards the end I loved how that character helped the main character in the situations she was thrown in.
It was a wild ride for Svetlana throughout the whole book, so I’m wondering what will happen next.
I love one of the supporting characters’ redemption arc. I was not a fan in the beginning but towards the end I loved how that character helped the main character in the situations she was thrown in.
It was a wild ride for Svetlana throughout the whole book, so I’m wondering what will happen next.
April 21, 2021
I received this in a giveaway. This was a different but entertaining book. The main character, Svetlana, marries into a strange family that she cannot figure out. Then she is thrown into some crazy situations and also tries to figure out her new family. There were many twists and turns in this story and it was interesting to follow the main character through the story.
February 21, 2022
A very interesting read
I find the book written with the best story line I have ever read in a long time
I would like to read more books like this
I find the book written with the best story line I have ever read in a long time
I would like to read more books like this
August 14, 2025
Beginnings
Interesting family the Jovian's. Why do they keep mentioning babies to a newly married couple? We'd plan to wait a while before starting a family. Why do relatives feel the need to give their opinion so freely? And doesn't this family show any emotion?
The accident.
The funeral of my beloved.
I can't be pregnant, can I?
Captive.
Delivery
The tower.
Who to trust.
Well written book with characters that are believable and interesting to read about.
It's my hope that the author gives more attention to interaction, between Jovian's and Earthlings.
Interesting family the Jovian's. Why do they keep mentioning babies to a newly married couple? We'd plan to wait a while before starting a family. Why do relatives feel the need to give their opinion so freely? And doesn't this family show any emotion?
The accident.
The funeral of my beloved.
I can't be pregnant, can I?
Captive.
Delivery
The tower.
Who to trust.
Well written book with characters that are believable and interesting to read about.
It's my hope that the author gives more attention to interaction, between Jovian's and Earthlings.
February 27, 2025
Thank you to the author, Kim Catanzarite, and the publisher, Forster Publishing, who provided me with an e copy of this book, which I received by winning a Goodreads Giveaway.
I am not one who reads Sci-fi but this book was one that captivated me from the beginning. I enjoyed the story of Sveta and Andrew. There were many twists to their love story. I enjoyed it and finished it in 2 days.
I am not one who reads Sci-fi but this book was one that captivated me from the beginning. I enjoyed the story of Sveta and Andrew. There were many twists to their love story. I enjoyed it and finished it in 2 days.
August 24, 2025
This was a slow burn but not in the typical fashion. I mean the story strengthened and the characters developed in layers. It created an immersive read. Since it’s told entirely from Svetlana’s point of view, the mystery unfolds slowly and you feel her anticipation and fear build.
September 22, 2022
creepy, disturbing and fabulous
This was a creeping, rattling story that grew more intriguing with each page. Love story with aliens and a mystery family - a woman alone in the world trying to craft a life for herself. Loved it!
This was a creeping, rattling story that grew more intriguing with each page. Love story with aliens and a mystery family - a woman alone in the world trying to craft a life for herself. Loved it!
September 17, 2022
Excellent psychological thriller. Svetlana, an orphan from Russia who American parents adopted meets Andrew with whom she falls in love. He is from a wealthy but strange family. They all are enthralled with the night sky. When the couple marries she learns how truly strange his family is. The rest is a page-turning adventure. Highly recommended!
Incidentally, Kim thanks for the personalized note that came with my Goodreads win.
Incidentally, Kim thanks for the personalized note that came with my Goodreads win.
Want to read
November 8, 2021A dynamic sci-fi thriller"—BookLife Reviews
Won an Readers' Favorite Award in the Psychological Thriller category.
"What starts out as a seemingly simple story of young love becomes a complex tale of deception and duplicity."—Jordan Rosenfeld, author of Women in Red and How to Write a Page Turner.
Received a Starred Review from Blueink Review—“They Will Be Coming for Us offers both quality writing and an irresistible story—a winning combination all around.”
In this gripping sci-fi thriller, Svetlana Peterman has met her soul mate in Andrew Jovian, a young astronomer who works for Starbright International, the aerospace company his wealthy parents own. Once married, they make a home in Kirksberg, Pennsylvania, a small town famous for a UFO sighting that occurred in the 1960s.
Svetlana is, for once, truly happy, except that Andrew’s family is strange, and not in a normal-strange kind of way. Preoccupied with only two things—the night sky and carrying on their family lineage—the Jovians lack social skills and often pry into Svetlana’s personal life. Her intimidating mother-in-law demands she get busy fulfilling her reproductive duty to the family, and Andrew’s eccentric uncle seems to be able to read her mind. Feeling bullied and wanting a career before motherhood, Svetlana takes precautions but ends up pregnant anyway.
But that’s the least of her worries when she discovers the Jovians have a monumental secret that will change her fate (and that of her child’s) forever—a secret so powerful, it could alter the course of mankind.
They Will Be Coming for UsThey Will Be Coming for Us
Kim Catanzarite
Won an Readers' Favorite Award in the Psychological Thriller category.
"What starts out as a seemingly simple story of young love becomes a complex tale of deception and duplicity."—Jordan Rosenfeld, author of Women in Red and How to Write a Page Turner.
Received a Starred Review from Blueink Review—“They Will Be Coming for Us offers both quality writing and an irresistible story—a winning combination all around.”
In this gripping sci-fi thriller, Svetlana Peterman has met her soul mate in Andrew Jovian, a young astronomer who works for Starbright International, the aerospace company his wealthy parents own. Once married, they make a home in Kirksberg, Pennsylvania, a small town famous for a UFO sighting that occurred in the 1960s.
Svetlana is, for once, truly happy, except that Andrew’s family is strange, and not in a normal-strange kind of way. Preoccupied with only two things—the night sky and carrying on their family lineage—the Jovians lack social skills and often pry into Svetlana’s personal life. Her intimidating mother-in-law demands she get busy fulfilling her reproductive duty to the family, and Andrew’s eccentric uncle seems to be able to read her mind. Feeling bullied and wanting a career before motherhood, Svetlana takes precautions but ends up pregnant anyway.
But that’s the least of her worries when she discovers the Jovians have a monumental secret that will change her fate (and that of her child’s) forever—a secret so powerful, it could alter the course of mankind.
They Will Be Coming for UsThey Will Be Coming for Us
Kim Catanzarite
February 21, 2022
Edit 2/21/22: Lowered my rating to 1 star. Sat with my thoughts for a while and simply couldn't get over how flimsily put-together the main concepts of the plot were. Anybody even tangentially involved in real-world aerospace/astrophysics research (i.e. me) will find themselves questioning the flippant way the characters use NASA as a buzzword and hand-wavey explanation for literally anything related to the actual science (fiction) concepts that the plot is supposed to revolve around. It's clear that the author did very little research into the topics she writes about in They Will Be Coming For Us. Combine that with the fact that I simply could not bring myself to care about Sveta or Andrew or their rushed, flat romance, it is very difficult to justify giving this book more than 1 star.
1.5 stars. I was very intrigued by the premise/blurb for They Will Be Coming For Us, but unfortunately, once I started reading, I found myself sorely disappointed. Although the plot was just interesting enough to keep me reading, it was a constant fight against the stilted prose, flat characters, and flimsy worldbuilding. Sveta is a sympathetic character, but at least to me, she came across as incredibly stupid. She is naive and childish to a fault, and even after the central conflict reaches a head and she finally snaps (so to speak), she flip-flops between antagonism and overly polite complacency in a way that feels out of character, even for her. And despite it becoming quite clear to the reader by at least 1/3 of the way in, Sveta doesn't put together the "big reveal" until very late in the novel (and when she finally does find out, her reaction is disproportionately lackluster). The emotional moments were flat, the prose often felt very unpolished, more like a diary written by Sveta than a cohesive novel, and finally, many parts of the plot and world felt almost childish in how little they were researched and fleshed-out.
They Will Be Coming For Us had an interesting premise and lofty goals, but like the ill-fated rocket at the beginning of the novel, it struggled to take off.
1.5 stars. I was very intrigued by the premise/blurb for They Will Be Coming For Us, but unfortunately, once I started reading, I found myself sorely disappointed. Although the plot was just interesting enough to keep me reading, it was a constant fight against the stilted prose, flat characters, and flimsy worldbuilding. Sveta is a sympathetic character, but at least to me, she came across as incredibly stupid. She is naive and childish to a fault, and even after the central conflict reaches a head and she finally snaps (so to speak), she flip-flops between antagonism and overly polite complacency in a way that feels out of character, even for her. And despite it becoming quite clear to the reader by at least 1/3 of the way in, Sveta doesn't put together the "big reveal" until very late in the novel (and when she finally does find out, her reaction is disproportionately lackluster). The emotional moments were flat, the prose often felt very unpolished, more like a diary written by Sveta than a cohesive novel, and finally, many parts of the plot and world felt almost childish in how little they were researched and fleshed-out.
They Will Be Coming For Us had an interesting premise and lofty goals, but like the ill-fated rocket at the beginning of the novel, it struggled to take off.
May 4, 2021
2.5 stars rounded up. The premise of this sounded pretty promising to me but the execution fell a bit flat. Svetlana meets Andrew when she's 23. Though she comes off quite a bit younger than that, especially at the beginning of the book. Anyway, the two of them fall in love rather quickly--fate and all that. They get married and plan to live happily ever after. But something isn't quite "normal" with Andrew's family and Svetlana starts to think her in-laws might be up to something suspicious. My biggest issue with this book is Svetlana herself who is a very passive character for the majority of the book. She doesn't do a whole lot and mostly moves through the story where things are done to her or around her. She has no real agency until the very last section of the book, but by then, it's too little too late. I spent much of the book just kind of feeling bored about the whole thing, wanting and waiting for more intrigue, more weird, more out-of-this-world stuff that the premise set up. Instead, what I found was a story about a young woman becoming a housewife and not getting along with her in-laws and doing a lot of internal monologuing that wasn't very interesting. Svetlana's choices as a character were also strange to me at times, like when her sister, at the beginning of the book, vanishes in the night and moves to Russia and Svetlana doesn't hear from her for a while and doesn't really seem to care. She says she cares, but her actions say otherwise. Also she supposedly has parents but never talks to them and that was odd to me. I suppose some of these issues might be addressed in book 2 but I don't think I'll be joining Svetlana for any more adventures. Ultimately, this was just an okay read for me.
*I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
*I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
June 15, 2021
A convoluted plot, excellent worldbuilding, and relentless suspense mark this excellent SF thriller, the first in the Jovian Duology, by debut author Catanzarite.
It’s love at first sight for the lovely Svetlana Peterman when she meets the handsome Andrew Jovian, a young astronomer who works for Starbright International, the aerospace company his wealthy parents own. The couple soon gets married, making their home Kirksberg, Pennsylvania, a small-town famous for a UFO sighting that occurred in the 1960s. But soon, Andrew’s family begins to get on Svetlana’s nerves, with their prying behavior and strangeness. Unexpected pregnancy brings a ray of happiness in Svetlana’s life. But fate has other plans.
Catanzarite sets a breakneck pace as Svetlana discovers dangerous secrets about the Jovians that will change her child’s fate forever. She creates tangible suspense throughout the deep and multilayered mystery, cleverly teasing out the characters’ desires and motivations, turning what at first appears to be a straightforward suspense tale into a gripping page-turner.
The fully fleshed-out characters, especially Svetlana and Andrew, haunted by their own demons, leap off the pages. The sensitive portrayal of Svetlana’s anguish as a mother will resonate with many. The plot moves fast and the well-wrought worldbuilding details bring the ambiguity surrounding the quiet town of Ashbury Falls to life.
High tension, abundance of intrigue, and shocking twists make the pages fly as the narrative builds to a climax which, though thoroughly satisfying, will leave readers eager for the next installment in the series. This is a stunner.
It’s love at first sight for the lovely Svetlana Peterman when she meets the handsome Andrew Jovian, a young astronomer who works for Starbright International, the aerospace company his wealthy parents own. The couple soon gets married, making their home Kirksberg, Pennsylvania, a small-town famous for a UFO sighting that occurred in the 1960s. But soon, Andrew’s family begins to get on Svetlana’s nerves, with their prying behavior and strangeness. Unexpected pregnancy brings a ray of happiness in Svetlana’s life. But fate has other plans.
Catanzarite sets a breakneck pace as Svetlana discovers dangerous secrets about the Jovians that will change her child’s fate forever. She creates tangible suspense throughout the deep and multilayered mystery, cleverly teasing out the characters’ desires and motivations, turning what at first appears to be a straightforward suspense tale into a gripping page-turner.
The fully fleshed-out characters, especially Svetlana and Andrew, haunted by their own demons, leap off the pages. The sensitive portrayal of Svetlana’s anguish as a mother will resonate with many. The plot moves fast and the well-wrought worldbuilding details bring the ambiguity surrounding the quiet town of Ashbury Falls to life.
High tension, abundance of intrigue, and shocking twists make the pages fly as the narrative builds to a climax which, though thoroughly satisfying, will leave readers eager for the next installment in the series. This is a stunner.
January 27, 2022
I am not sure how to review this book. It was strange, it was creepy, it was almost two books combined into one.
The first half of the book was cute and you knew something else was going on, and you were just waiting for it. Then the book took a totally unexpected turn! And then it just kept going down the strange and creepy road. By the time it got to the part where I was thinking "oh come on, you have to be kidding me" it was too late and I needed to know what happened next.
In some ways it almost feels like two different people wrote this book - the first half and second half almost read like totally different books. The second half was so over the top it was almost funny, but not quite.
However, it has been well over a week since I read this book, and I still remember it. That doesn't sound like a big deal, but I read two other books in that time that I can't review because I dont really remember them. Some books just seem to blend together. But this book totally stands out - in a very strange way.
This is almost a useless review because some people will really enjoy this, and others will wonder why they just spent their time on it - it's that bizarre.
I do want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review.
The first half of the book was cute and you knew something else was going on, and you were just waiting for it. Then the book took a totally unexpected turn! And then it just kept going down the strange and creepy road. By the time it got to the part where I was thinking "oh come on, you have to be kidding me" it was too late and I needed to know what happened next.
In some ways it almost feels like two different people wrote this book - the first half and second half almost read like totally different books. The second half was so over the top it was almost funny, but not quite.
However, it has been well over a week since I read this book, and I still remember it. That doesn't sound like a big deal, but I read two other books in that time that I can't review because I dont really remember them. Some books just seem to blend together. But this book totally stands out - in a very strange way.
This is almost a useless review because some people will really enjoy this, and others will wonder why they just spent their time on it - it's that bizarre.
I do want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review.
March 15, 2021
A young woman battles the cosmos. Orphaned and adopted from Russia by an American couple, twenty-something Svetlana has always longed for a family of her own. While working at an ice-cream shop in her hometown of Kirksberg, PA, which happens to be the location of a UFO sighting many moons ago, she meets a hot guy named Andrew, who jumps to her aid when Svetlana’s stepsister abandons her. Sparks fly and a romance brews, eventually leading to marriage. Svetlana can’t believe her luck. It’s a match made in heaven . . . well, almost. Not only does Andrew’s family act strange but they have no sense of boundaries, encroaching on Andrew and Svetlana’s marital bliss. When tragedy strikes, Svetlana learns of a dark secret that threatens everything she knows about life, love, and her future. They Will Be Coming For Us pulls you in and holds you hostage all the way to the nail-biting end. Great character and plot development and pacing that never slows. One of the best books I’ve read in a long time.
April 21, 2021
They Will Be Coming for Us:
I forgot to write a review for this book I read last week, it was a giveaway I won for an ARC review book and I didn’t realize when I entered the giveaway that it wasn’t just a straight psychological thriller story, but also a paranormal suspense book involving aliens, definitely not my usual type of book but I gave it a try since it was for a review. I did end up liking it even though the ending started to get a little bit too weird at times, but overall the story was interesting and well written with the right amount of tension and intrigue. This is the first book in a series and I think I would read the following books only because I am in invested in the characters, but I don’t think I will be reading any other books in the future about this subject. I am glad I had the chance to try something new though because we all tend to stick to our favorite genres of books and it’s always a good thing to branch out and try something new!
I forgot to write a review for this book I read last week, it was a giveaway I won for an ARC review book and I didn’t realize when I entered the giveaway that it wasn’t just a straight psychological thriller story, but also a paranormal suspense book involving aliens, definitely not my usual type of book but I gave it a try since it was for a review. I did end up liking it even though the ending started to get a little bit too weird at times, but overall the story was interesting and well written with the right amount of tension and intrigue. This is the first book in a series and I think I would read the following books only because I am in invested in the characters, but I don’t think I will be reading any other books in the future about this subject. I am glad I had the chance to try something new though because we all tend to stick to our favorite genres of books and it’s always a good thing to branch out and try something new!
June 2, 2021
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Literally up until 2 am.
Since this is one of those books that you can’t say too much about without spoiling it, I’ll explain how it made me feel—all over the place. First, it’s a happy love story, then eerie, then sinister, then creepy, then I think I know what’s going to happen—but I'm wrong, then I’m supremely disturbed, then relieved—for a moment—then surprised, then what the *heck*?!, then are you *kidding* me?!, then—gah! when is Book 2 coming out?!
The ending was both satisfying and not. I can’t say why it was satisfying without a spoiler, but the reason it wasn’t is because I want—need—to know what’s next. Honestly, I hate cliffhangers. Except the author pulled this off with such skill that it’s not *exactly* a ‘cliffhanger’, because there was a sense of gratification when I turned the last page. But, dang. When. Is Book 2. Coming out?
Literally up until 2 am.
Since this is one of those books that you can’t say too much about without spoiling it, I’ll explain how it made me feel—all over the place. First, it’s a happy love story, then eerie, then sinister, then creepy, then I think I know what’s going to happen—but I'm wrong, then I’m supremely disturbed, then relieved—for a moment—then surprised, then what the *heck*?!, then are you *kidding* me?!, then—gah! when is Book 2 coming out?!
The ending was both satisfying and not. I can’t say why it was satisfying without a spoiler, but the reason it wasn’t is because I want—need—to know what’s next. Honestly, I hate cliffhangers. Except the author pulled this off with such skill that it’s not *exactly* a ‘cliffhanger’, because there was a sense of gratification when I turned the last page. But, dang. When. Is Book 2. Coming out?
January 13, 2022
Holy moly, what did I just read? The first half of this book, They Will Be Coming for Us by Kim Catanzarite, is a bit of a slow burn, and it's not clear where it's going. The story really picks up speed in the second half. The Jovians are so over the top creepy and weird, which gave me an unsettling feeling the entire time I was reading. If you like that kind of tense uncomfortableness, this book is for you. I felt like the ending was a little bit of a deus ex machina, but this is only part one of a duology so it looks like there is more to come. I will definitely pick up the second volume to see what happens. I hope it resolves some of the unanswered questions from the first book!
Thank you to Kim Catanzarite, BooksGoSocial, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Kim Catanzarite, BooksGoSocial, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
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